Products that include images are a popular keepsake or gift for many people. Such products typically include a picture taken by an individual that is inserted into a product intended to enhance the product, the presentation of the image, or to provide storage for the image. Examples of such products include picture frames, picture albums, posters, picture calendars, picture mugs, picture ornaments, picture mouse pads, and picture post cards.
Images can also be combined with other images, for example templates including background images and one or more image openings into which an individual's image can be inserted, either mechanically or electronically with a computer, to form a combined image that displays the individual's image in a pleasing or preferred manner. These image products can be provided in hard-copy form, for example as a printed photo-book, or in electronic form presented by a computer, for example in an on-line album.
Designing and assembling multi-image and multi-media products can be a daunting challenge for users, particularly when the products include personal images. Software tools that execute on computers can assist users in designing customized multi-image products. Such software products can execute, for example, on home computers. Alternatively, on-line design and printing services accessible through an internet browser interface can assist users in designing and printing a multi-image product.
Such software and internet design tools can enable users to locate personal images or other multi-media elements in a multi-image product, such as a photo-book or collage. For example, users can drag-and-drop image icons into openings in a visual representation of a multi-image product to specify the multi-image product, for example as is done in the on-line image printing business of the Kodak Gallery. However, such an approach to designing a multi-media image product can be very difficult, as a very large number of product options and different layouts are available and selecting from among them can be tedious, time-consuming, and anxiety-inducing for a user. Alternatively, software and internet design tools include automated layout software that will locate a user's images in various locations in a template without intervention, as is taught for example in U.S. Pat. No. 7,340,676. Such automated layout methods, however, do not always select the best or preferred layout for a product as desired by a user.
U.S. Patent Publication 20090196520 describes a system for generating an image-enhanced output product. An image-enhanceable product is identified having a tangible surface and a printing map that defines a plurality of window areas in which images are to be printed on the tangible surface. The disclosure describes the use of product identifiers to enable access to printing maps or printing information. The disclosure also describes scanning the image-enhanceable product to form an image that is analyzed to produce printing maps or printing information. The printing maps or printing information is used to make a print on the tangible surface suitable for enhancing the image-enhanceable product. This process requires the use of a database with printing map or printing information associated with image-enhanceable product identifiers. Alternatively, image-enhanceable product scanners and computing algorithms are necessary for producing a printing map or printing information.
There is a need therefore, for an improved method for providing image maps or printing information for image-enhanceable products.